<p>Could someone give me a synopsis of what FOCUS is?</p>
<p><a href="http://pmac.aas.duke.edu/focus/%5B/url%5D">http://pmac.aas.duke.edu/focus/</a></p>
<p>Its basically a program for first-year students in the first semester that studies 1 topic in depth from an interdisciplinary point of view. You have small, discussion-based, reading and writing intensive courses - 2 seminars, 1 writing course, and a dinner course with your professor(s). There are different program clusters: Evolution and Humankind, Global Americas, Visions of Freedom, etc. that study different things - for ex., in the Evolution cluster, you study evolution and its impact on humankind from the perspectives of biology, sociology, literature, history, philosophy, etc... There are also field trips related to your cluster. Each cluster enrolls approx. 30 ppl and all together, about 400 freshmen participate in FOCUS their first semester. You also live with the ppl in your specific program cluster in the same dorm hall, so its a small, tight-knit community.</p>
<p>is admission into the FOCUS program selective?</p>
<p>Most applicants get into FOCUS overall, but certain program clusters are tough (the science ones and Power of Ideas). This year placement was especially screwy, with a ton of people not even getting one of their top three choices.</p>
<p>so you apply to FOCUS after getting into Duke...would it be good to mention this in one of your interests for the "Why Duke" essay?</p>
<p>A lot of people didn't get into the science programs, but there was space in others-they even extended the deadline to apply. </p>
<p>Harvard2400-Yes, definitely.</p>
<p>so let me get this straight....</p>
<p>Getting into the program itself isn't hard... but the hard part is getting the class you want?</p>
<p>Is that it?</p>
<p>20th Century Europe</p>
<p>Arts in Contemporary Society</p>
<p>Athens in the Golden Age</p>
<p>Changing Faces of Russia: Redefining Boundaries</p>
<p>Evolution and Humankind</p>
<p>Exploring the Mind</p>
<p>Forging Social Ideals</p>
<p>The Genome Revolution and its Impact on Society</p>
<p>Global Americas</p>
<p>Modern America</p>
<p>The Modern Middle East: Religion, Conflict & Identity</p>
<p>The Power of Ideas</p>
<p>Visions of Freedom </p>
<p>-These are all the FOCUS program clusters available this year - when u apply, u choose ur top 3 program choices. The most selective ones are the science ones (Genome, Evolution, Exploring Mind, and certain humanities ones such as Power of Ideas) There are programs such as the Contemporary Arts one and the Russia one that had spaces left open. You apply to the program after u get into Duke, its pretty much an essay on why u want to do FOCUS and why ur top 3 choices are good matches for you. Im not sure whether or not they pull up your file from undergrad admissions and look at ur stats.</p>
<p>Yeah-- you apply to focus after you've been accepted. If you're GENUINELY interested in the program, definitely mention it in your Why Duke. focus is a program that is really specific to Duke and has been for over thirty years, and for you to show them that you've taken the initiative to look into a program that is interdisciplinary and perhaps a bit more 'intense' than the average first year's first semester schedule (i use that phrase rather loosely, as my focus experience was perhaps the opposite of intense).</p>
<p>but anyway, to apply you read through a course book explaining all the programs, and apply to about three through six of them just to ensure that you'll get into the program. some are very competitive, so the essays you write (approx. a paragraph per focus) are actually very important in ultimately deciding where you end up. then you rank the four focus classes, and you'll be enrolled in two. i ended up getting my first choice focus AND my first two choice classes within the focus (though i ultimately hated one of them), but my focus wasn't tremendously competitive and it's nicknamed as the slacker focus.</p>
<p>Just curious, bluestar-what was your FOCUS?</p>
<p>modern america.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Getting into the program itself isn't hard... but the hard part is getting the class you want?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's how it was this year. I remember in previous years they mentioned people not getting into the program period.</p>
<p>when u choose ur classes at the time of application for each program cluster, you get to pick 2 of the 4 available seminar classes. But most people end up getting 1 of their chosen seminars and 1 is picked for them b/c of scheduling problems. But when I called the lady, she told me that they try to give you at least 1 of your chosen seminars, sometimes both if possible.</p>
<p>yeah-- sometimes people don't get into focus period, but it's because of their application. the deadline is not a postmark deadline, but a deadline of when the app needs to be in the focus office. if you miss it, no matter how good it is, you're automatically turned down. also, if you write a half-assed essay-- like one bad sentence per focus, you're going to get turned down as well.</p>
<p>wait so...
1.) how many classes do you take at Duke each semester?
2.) how many focus classes do you take or can take the first semester?
3.) does focus really bog down your time?
4.) Is focus really worth going for if you are a pre-med? That is anything really interesting out there for you?</p>
<p>1.) first semester: max of 4.5 credits, subsequent semesters: max of 5.5 credits. Full academic courses are worth 1 credit, 1/2 credit courses include P.E. courses, dance courses, music courses, house courses, etc. and are usually, if not all, pass/fail. You can go over these credits with an override from your academic dean, but can only add on additional 1/2 or .25 credit courses - .25 credit courses include orchestra and 1/2 hr music lessons.
2) FOCUS is 3.5 credits, 1 credit each for writing and the 2 seminar courses, 0.5 for the dinner seminar. You pick 1 full credit elective along with the program.
3. Its suppose to be a really intense first semester program, very reading and writing intensive so its def gonna bog down on some free time.
4. Im premed and I find the program really worthwhile. Its a great, unique experience to really get involved ur first semester intellectual-wise. If u dont do FOCUS, ur gonna have to take courses outside the sciences anyways to fulfill general ed requirements. If u get into one of the science FOCUSes, it also gives a unique perspective of looking at science, not only from a quantitative, factual vantage point, but from the perspectives of history, philosophy, religion, culture, etc...</p>
<p>I'm not so sure that it's going to "bog down your time" so much more than any other schedule. I'm going to be in FOCUS in Power of Ideas, but I have talked to a great deal of people about the workload. First, it depends on the FOCUS and the classes within a FOCUS whether they will be reading or writing intensive. For example, there is an English class in my focus on Goethe and Hegel, which I'm sure will be at least reading intensive, but there are other classes that are more discussion based. </p>
<p>Moreover, I heard that Focus in general tends to grade inflate, or at least that's what I heard from Science majors of last year, so that may be a bit biased. But, regarding bogging down your time, going into science and math classes first semester is going to literally bog down more time with the three days of classes plus labs. In addition, in focus, there aren't any recitation units where you would need to meet extra, since the class size is so small. Whereas, if you were taking a bunch of into humanities classes first semester, it'd be likely you'd be required to spend extra time with recitation groups.</p>
<p>
[quote]
4.) Is focus really worth going for if you are a pre-med? That is anything really interesting out there for you?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There is a new spring semester Global Health FOCUS that I'd imagine would be of interest to pre-meds.</p>
<p>1) most duke students TYPICALLY take four courses a semester-- and maybe a half credit. some kids overload and take 5 courses, but it's not necessary initially.
2) in focus you take 2 focus electives, one freshman writing seminar, and you meet for dinner once a week with your focus group-- something that, in my experience, was a complete waste of time and it's worth .5 credit. which you get for gracing the prof w/ your presence. (its pass/fail). also, you take 1 non-focus class.
3) focus didn't bog down my time at all in the sense of being overwhelmed by academia.
4) you don't need to do a "science" focus to be pre-med. my focus (modern america) never really touched upon science or medicine, and still about 10 kids out of 30 were, at the time, pre-med and as their elective class taking chemistry. it's great for the obvious reason that you need to get distribtional requirements that focus classes can get you, but also, it's nice to step away from labs and math classes and learn something entirely different-- it's nice to stay well aware, especially at a school like duke where you can study so many interesting things.</p>
<p>nice, if i am not so good at writing but rather if i were good in language, math, sciene, and history...would that hurt me in focus in that I would have to take the REQUIRED writing seminar?</p>